They said they'd been shopping in New York - but their suitcases exposed the truth

Sophie Bannister and Levi-April Whalley were stopped at Birmingham International Airport and had "little regard to the seriousness or consequences" of their behaviour

Two friends sobbed in the dock after a court heard they brought more than 35kg of cannabis back to the UK from the US.

Sophie Bannister and Levi-April Whalley, both 30, told Border Force officials they had been on a three-day shopping trip to New York City when they were stopped at Birmingham International Airport. However, their bags were searched and the drugs - to the stret value of more than £160,000 - were discovered.

The mates were arrested and, though Whalley first told police she thought watches were in the packages, she and Bannister both later pleaded guilty to fraudulent evasion of a prohibition. They cried when they were handed suspended sentences at Preston Crown Court on Wednesday; Bannister's 20-month term was suspended for 18 months and Whalley was handed a 16-month sentence, also suspended for 18 months.

Since they were allowed to walk free from the dock, Bannister took to social media, describing her bond with Whalley as an "unbreakable friendship."

Bannister and Whalley, both originally from Blackburn, Lancashire, became involved in a plot to import cannabis - and expected to make a lot of money from their exploits. They travelled to the US in December 2023 and returned to the UK via Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport.

When they were stopped in Birmingham, both women said they had packed their own cases and knew it was illegal to bring drugs into the country. However, officers found more than 70 heat-sealed packages containing cannabis in the luggage when they checked the women's bags.

The 16.5kg of cannabis in Bannister's case had an estimated street value of £40,500. Whalley's 19kg was estimated at £121,500, the judge at Preston Crown Court heard. Since her arrest, Whalley has since been suspended from her job as a nurse and now expects to be struck off the nursing register.

Lancs Live reports how the court heard both women were vulnerable to exploitation due to their own personal and financial circumstances. Since their arrest, neither has committed any other offences and Whalley has become a mother to a young baby, the court heard.

And judge Richard Archer took these mitigating factors into account when sentencing the friends on Wednesday. He said: "You were both aware that having travelled from New York to Birmingham via Paris that you had in your respective suitcases a significant quantity of heat sealed bags, containing 35.5kg of cannabis.

"This was not your cannabis but cannabis you were carrying on behalf of another but you were expecting significant financial advantage for doing what you did. You discussed it in relation to this particular trip to New York, with a clear view of the money you were going to make from behaving this way.

"You perhaps had little regard to the seriousness or consequences of your offending. It must have been in the back of your mind that you would be caught but you probably thought very little about sitting in the dock this afternoon. I very much hope that you don't involve yourselves in this behaviour again."

In addition to the suspended sentence, Bannister, who now lives in Withington, Manchester, must complete 30 days of rehabilitation activities and 200 hours of unpaid work and Whalley, who still resides in Blackburn, must carry out 10 days rehabilitation and 80 hours of unpaid work.

Writing on social media after walking free from the dock, Bannister said in full: "Thank you for the people who have stood by us [during] truly the most mentally and emotionally challenging times of our life. 15 months of torture. HUGE lessons learnt. A LOT of tears along the way. But stood by each others side no matter what.

"A true friendship which will never be broken which was proven today holding hands not knowing the outcome. Finally some closure and moving forward with our life. Ready for the biggest fresh start and realising how important freedom really is. Levi Whalley no matter what people have said we really have an unbreakable friendship."